Fifa turns down France request

Fifa has rejected a request from France to call up a replacement for injured goalkeeper Cedric Carrasso.

Last Updated: 16/06/10 8:39pm

Fifa has rejected a request from France to call up a replacement for injured goalkeeper Cedric Carrasso.

Carrasso sustained a thigh injury in training on Monday and the French Football Federation hoped to draft in Monaco goalkeeper Stephane Ruffier as a replacement.

Ruffier cut short a holiday after getting the call from France as he waited to see if he would be allowed to travel out to South Africa.

However, Fifa has refused to grant France special dispensation for Carrasso to be replaced, meaning Steve Mandanda will provide cover for No.1 Hugo Lloris.

A Fifa statement read: "The Bureau of the Organising Committee of the 2010 Fifa World Cup, chaired by Issa Hayatou, met this morning to examine a request made by the French Football Federation.

"The FFF had submitted a request to replace injured goalkeeper Cedric Carrasso. The request was rejected by the bureau as they considered the situation not to be a case of force majeure, as outlined in Article 26.4 of the Regulations of the 2010 Fifa World Cup."